1984 The Hunting Book

Description

Colour Plates, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding, With Dustwrapper

First Edition Thus, with text written by Gabriel Bise and based on the original text of Gaston Phoebus.

With numerous full-page and in-text colour illustrations taken from the 'Ms. francais 616' illuminated manuscript, which was written in the fifteenth century. 

In the original unclipped dust wrapper. 

This is a lovely English translation of Gaston Phoebus' 'Livre de chasse', or, 'The Hunting Book'. This medieval book on hunting was originally written between 1387 and 1389, and became the standard text on medieval hunting techniques. 

This edition includes all of the original sections of the book, those being 'On Gentle and Wild Beasts', 'On the Nature and Care of Dogs', 'On Instructions for Hunting with Dogs', and 'On Hunting with Traps, Snares, and Crossbow'. Gabriel Bise provides a modern translation of Phoebus' original text along with biographical information and additional helpful facts on the author's life. 

Gaston III, Count of Foix, also known as Gaston Febus (1331-1391), was the eleventh count of Foix and the viscount of Bearn. He wrote a treatise on hunting, as well as an 'Occitan song'. Interestingly, Febus was betrayed by his son, who tried to kill him with poison so that he could bear the dynastic family title. Jean Froissart wrote a record of this events, which stated that a violent quarrel followed in which Febus mortally wounded his son. 

Collated, complete.